26 things... You may not know about me...

In honor of my 26th birthday I decided to write 26 random things you may not know about me...

-My eyes change color depending on what I am wearing

-I can pop my hips out of joint

-I lived in Arkansas when Bill Clinton was elected President in 1992

-I could eat Mexican food everyday for the rest of my life

-I have scars on my face from when I got chicken pox in 2nd grade

-I have always wanted to learn sign language

-I want to volunteer at the Olympics one day... hopefully Chicago 2016!

-I did not miss a day of school from 7th-12th grade

-Police found a suspected serial killer less than 2 miles from my home

-My eyes were crossed when I was young... I had surgery to fix this when I was 2

-I am terrified of snakes

-I got my start in news anchoring my elementary school announcements

-I have always wanted to visit Belize... not really sure why

-I can do both right and left handed cartwheels

-When I was little I had an imaginary friend named China

-I don't like to eat chicken on the bone... fried of grilled it doesn't matter

-I love decorating for Christmas, I would keep my tree up year round if I could

-Every time I go to the ballet I want to start taking class again

-I have a ridge in the top of my mouth where the orthodontist stretched my jaw when I was in 5th grade

-I love getting "real" mail... because I usually just get bills in my box

-I think Bob Costas has the coolest job in the whole world

-I don't know my blood type

-I love going for long walks... but I don't like walking on a track

-I want to name my first child after my Mackie

-I love collecting bags and purses... the same way some people feel about shoes

-I get squeamish at he sight of blood in real life... but ER is one of my favorite shows of all time

So there you go... 26 random facts about me. Hopefully, you got to know me a little better today... and WOW... 26, I still can't believe I'm that old!!!

UGA vs LSU 2004

This game sticks out in my mind because there was a big build-up to it. We lost to the Tigers in Baton Rouge the previous year, 10-17. Then we lost again when we played them in the 2003 SEC Championship, 13-34. We were ready to welcome them to our house... to show them just what the Bulldogs are made of.

The Friday morning before the game, ESPN's Cold Pizza decided to broadcast live from Sanford Stadium. They asked interested band members to volunteer to be there for the entire taping... this meant arriving at 6am!!! I decided it would be a great opportunity so Rebecca and I headed out bright and early Friday morning.

That Friday happened to be the day after my 21st birthday... I was so excited to see Coach Richt and Coach Dooley at the show. They even took pictures with most of the Redcoats there... so exciting!!!

The game ended up being a perfect belated 21st birthday present... we beat the Tigers 45-16. Welcome to Sanford Stadium!! It was a great way to redeem ourselves after two crushing defeats.

Go Dawgs... Beat the Tigers!

Paper Flowers

Crafting... yes I made it a verb... is one of my favorite things to do! I love to make creative things. I can wander around the aisles of Hobby Lobby for hours just "looking" and waiting for my creative juices to kick in.

This week my friend Lacey taught me how to make something new... and I LOVE them! Here is how you make tissue paper flowers... they are so easy and fun!

-Cut tissue paper into squares, mine are 4.5 inches... you need at least 5 squares... I usually use 10-12

-Stack the squares and fold in half, then in half again... making a small square

-Hold the folded square with the open sides pointed up. Now cut a design around those sides... kind of like you are making a snow flake... you can make all different "types" of flowers. Lots of petals for daisies, rounded for roses, and jagged for carnations.

-Unfold the squares and poke a pipe cleaner through the center... you can criss-cross the squares so they don't look quite so square

-Starting with the top piece of paper... individually fold each piece up and crinkle it a bit to make a flower!

-The finished flowers are colorful... and always one of a kind!

Foodie Friday Brownie Trifle

Among my family and friends this dish is not usually called "brownie trifle"... but I thought I should give you the back-story before I tell you the real name.

The story goes something like this...My mom brought this dessert to a covered dish supper at the church one Sunday night. As the night was wrapping up, the pastor picked up her empty trifle dish and asked, "who brought this 'bucket of sin'?" My mom raised her hand and he told her he wanted the recipe, it was that good. So ever since then, we have called this decadent dessert "Bucket of Sin." Enjoy!

Bucket of Sin

Ingredients:

-1 brownie mix- 13x9 Family size

-Eggs and Oil to make the brownies (check the brownie box to see how you need)

-1 large box of instant Chocolate pudding

-3 cups cold milk (to make pudding)

-1 large tub of whipped topping

-1 Heath bar crumbled OR 1 bag Heath bar topping (found in chocolate chip aisle)

Prepare the brownies and pudding according to the package instructions. Let the brownies cool completely.

In a trifle bowl or large container layer: half the brownies, then half the pudding, then half the whipped topping-- then repeat.

On the top layer of whipped topping sprinkle the Heath bar pieces

You can also make individual portions in clear cups or wine glasses. Layer each ingredient just like you would in the bigger dish.

Here are examples of both sizes... I wanted to make them both in pretty trifle type dishes... but the crazy weather in Atlanta this week made me a little too busy!

Brittany did a Foodie Friday recipe today too...Spicy Chicken and Black Bean chili... yum!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday... Happy Birthday Mom!

She is a great woman! She taught me most of what I know about cooking, crafting, and helping people! I love you mom! Happy Birthday!

26 Things... Bible

I am thankful for the Bible.

I know, I know... this may sound like the Sunday School, I'm dating a seminary student answer... but when I was thinking about what I'm thankful for in general this is the first thing that came to my mind.

There is no other book like it. It contains the Gospel which has completely transformed every facet of my life. It is constantly changing what I think about, how I think, and what I think is important. When I have a bad day there are passages in it that speak directly to my heart. If I am having a wonderful day, there are passages that help me express my joy. When I am at the end of my rope and I don't even know what to pray, I can pray the scriptures and they express exactly what my heart is saying.

It is truly a guide book for life and to Life. I know that God never changes... and it is awesome to see how faithful he has been through the ages. I am so blessed to be able to read and learn His word each and everyday! What an AWESOME God we serve that He would choose to reveal himself to us through this amazing book.

"The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

When it rains...

This weekend I went to Birmingham to visit Patrick, who had come into town for the Auburn vs West Virginia game.

We had a great time visiting with his brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Sarah. Our competitive juices flowed full force during a spirited game of Mexican Train! They are wonderful hosts, I hope we get to hang out with them again soon!

Monday morning we got up and ate breakfast... then we turned on the television... WOW!! Much of metro Atlanta was under water... and it was still raining!! We decided it would be best to leave a little earlier than expected to be sure we got to Atlanta in time.

I am thankful I didn't get called in to work, so after dropping Paul off at the airport, Patrick and I headed to the Original Chick-Fil-A Dwarf House. Did you know they sell burgers? Well, they do... crazy I know!!!

Waiting in the airport... sitting on the floor because the Atrium was packed!

Then, back to the airport where we waited for a few hours until it was time for Patrick to leave... his plane was delayed a bit... but that gave us a little more time to visit.

Today things are looking up in Atlanta... much of the metro area is still under water, but as I look outside right now, I see the sun which is a very very welcome sight! Please pray for the families of the people who lost their lives, and for the people who have lost their homes. It is going to be a long time until Atlantans are able to dry out completely!

Hot Hot Hot... UGA vs Alabama 2002

The 2002 Alabama game was HOT... I think it was the hottest I have ever been...

Until that day, Georgia had never won in Tuscaloosa... and not many people outside the Bulldog faithful really thought we would change that in 2002. Even former UGA player and Auburn coach Pat Dye got in on the trash talk... saying that UGA wasn't "man enough" to beat Alabama. Wow, did that fire everyone up!

We arrived in Tuscaloosa and sat on the busses for a while until we were able to get on the practice field... I knew as soon as I stepped out of the bus heat was going to be a factor. We were all dripping when we finished... then when Alabama officials opened a building for us to use the facilities and change... there was a slight problem... it was DARK... no power at all... wow, thanks Alabama.

UGA kicker Billy Bennett... who would be our hero that day!

Back to the busses and in true Redcoat fashion a real hurry up and wait situation. We got into the stadium two hours before game time... wow more time to roast!!!

Flagline girls trying to keep cool before the game.

The game had been close all day, we were up but not by much... Alabama pulled ahead about midway through the 4th quarter. It wasn't looking good for the Bulldogs. That was until with just 38 seconds left Billy Bennett hit a 32 yard field goal to put UGA up by 2. That's how it went into the history books... UGA 27 Alabama 25.

That day we were MAN ENOUGH! Go Dawgs!

Foodie Friday Easy Chicken Pot Pie

This week I am participating in Kelly's Korner's "Show us Your Life" for the first time. The topic is "go to dinner recipes," perfect for my Foodie Fridays! This is my mom's recipe, she has made it for many many years. It is great for when you need to take a meal to people... and it's really really easy!!

Chicken Pot Pie

-1 Pkg frozen Deep Dish Pie crusts (2 per pkg)

-1 Can Cream of Soup... you can use mushroom or chicken

-1 Can mixed veggies

-1 large can Chicken Breast, in water

Drain the veggies and Chicken. Mix the veggies, soup, and chicken in one of the pie shells. Flip the other pie shell and place it on top of the mixture. (It works best if you put it on top then remove the metal pie plate... it is harder if you try to take the pie crust out beforehand). Cut and "X" on the top to vent the pie.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown.

Yummy! I took a picture after I had eaten a piece... ooops!

*If you are watching your weight... put the veggie, chicken, soup mixture in an empty pie pan... then just put the pie crust on top.*

Next week is desserts... I am so excited about this one! Stay tuned for a crowd pleasing sweet concoction a favorite among my family and friends!

SEC Championship 2002

This is going to be a short post, I am still tired out from our super close game last week... whew, that was close, a little too close for me!

We had a pretty magical season in 2002... lots of super close games that we seemed to pull out in the last seconds. We were all buzzing about UGA's first trip to the SEC Championship in quite a long time. We quickly found that in many ways it wasn't too different from a regular game... for us that is. Arkansas on the other hand had to travel halfway across the country... we just traveled an hour down the road. In some ways we had it much better, however, I think it loses some of the excitement when you are just heading down the street. Anyway, I digress...

We arrived early to practice at the GA Dome, then hung out for the afternoon at FanFare. Unfortunately, I don't remember too many specific moments from the game... I do remember the final score though... UGA 30 Arkansas 3!!

Deena and I at the GA Dome!

I wish I had a scanner because I have tons of great pics of all of us posing with packets of sugar. Why you ask? Because, not only did we win the SEC Championship... we were Sugar Bowl bound... New Orleans here we come!

Go Dawgs... Beat the Hogs!

26 Things... Apples

I am thankful for Apples... Macintosh Apples that is... :-)

When we were roomates in college, Brittany had a Mac and she was always raving about how much she loved it! I didn't really have too much experience with Macs, I was a PC girl... or so I thought. The more I researched Macs, the more I started to like them... and now I can say that I love mine probably as much as Brittany loved hers!!

I also LOVE my IPods... yes I have 2, it's a long story. They have made my journeys to North Carolina much much better! I don't have to worry about finding radio stations and they going out of range... I just plug in my Ipod and drive drive drive!

I also enjoy downloading sermons from great churches around the country on my IPod. I have never really been able to sit still long enough at home to listen to sermons (I always see so much around the house that I need to do.) However, in the car I am a "captive audience." It is so wonderful to be able to compile many different sermon series together in one handheld device.

I think I am now officially an Apple Girl!

A Family Tradition

My mom and I have an interesting tradition... it happens each September... it's called, The Yellow Daisy Festival. It is a HUGE craft show held at Stone Mountain Park, just outside Atlanta.

I remember going as a kid with my mom and some of her friends. All the kids would walk around the winding trails looking at booths, asking our moms for all kinds of stuff, and ultimately carrying all their packages around the park and back to the car.

There are so many booths there... all along this trail!

Times have changed, and I no longer ask my mom for nearly as many things, and we both carry our own packages to the car. However, each year we go back and see a few different booths that we remember fondly from years past.

There's the personalized lap desk booth. My brother and I both got one of these desks for Christmas one year, mine had ballet shoes his had baseball stuff. Or, the booth with the wooden foldable chairs, my brother and I and two friends hauled those chairs all over the place one year (we were basically pack mules). My favorite however, is the booth with the wooden stamps. We used the stamps to make "sleep shirts" for my birthday party... the start of my craftiness!

People as far as the eye can see!

The Yellow Daisy Festival reminds me each year that no matter what happens, some things always stay the same, it is a strange comfort each September. I look forward to next September when we can do it all again.

Now, for my favorite vendor this year (and last)... Jann Pietso. I bought one of her pictures last year and a couple more this year. She has the cutest prints about college towns. She told us she talks to people of all ages who attended college there to figure out what to put on her design. Then she compiles all the words to make a collage... it is so fun! It definitely takes you back to your college days! Enjoy!

26 things...

I was thinking the other day about starting a long term series for my blog. You know, something I can do each week, yet it will always be new. I came up with the idea for 26 things... I will choose one for each letter of the alphabet. The topics will be broad so they can accommodate many different subjects.

For the first cycle I am going to do... 26 Things I am thankful for...

I invite you to join me by commenting on my posts with things you are thankful for. I think it will be a great way to reflect on just how blessed we all are!

On a side note... How bout them Dawgs?!?!?! I guess they just wanted to make it exciting for all the fans! Great game last night! Feels good to have a "W" against Spurrier. It's going to be an interesting season. It's GREAT to be a Georgia Bulldog!

Makeover Time!- Update

Well, I think I am finally finished... for now... with the blog makeover. It took a lot longer than I planned, but I learned a whole lot! I saw this background a few weeks ago and really liked it. I love the ruffles and bright flowers!! What do you think??

Well, I better get to sleep... because you know what today is... GAMEDAY!!! Go Dawgs! Beat the Gamecocks!

Foodie Friday Ranch Chicken

I love this recipe because it is so easy... and the chicken comes out really moist and delicious!! It is however, one of those recipes that I don't really have exact measurements for, you just add a little of this and a little of that... so I am giving it my best guess...

Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:

-1 Pkg Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts
-1 Container Bread Crumbs (I usually use Italian style)
-1 Pkg Ranch dressing mix
-1/2 stick Butter or Margarine, melted
-2 shallow dishes (for dipping the chicken), I like to use Gladware or Tupperware
-1 rectangular cake pan or other baking dish
-Aluminum Foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the baking pan.

Place the melted butter or margarine in one of the dishes. Then in the other dish mix about half of the ranch dressing and 2 cups of breadcrumbs. This is just an estimate... I never measure... :-)

This is what my bread crumb mixture looks like.

Dip each chicken breast in the melted butter (I often cut the chicken in half so the pieces are not so big). Then coat it in the bread crumb mixture. Place chicken into the lightly greased baking pan. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

This recipe goes with just about anything. I usually serve with some sort of potatoes and another vegetable or salad. Yummy!

Tasty Travels!

This weekend I made my, somewhat routine, journey to the great state of North Carolina. I left bright and early Sunday morning, my IPod loaded with sermons and some new music, and started up I-85. My Camry has a great gas tank... I can make it all the way there without stopping! It is so wonderful to just drive straight through, you never have to lose momentum.

I planned to arrive in Wake Forest about 2p.m., on my way in to town I figured I would pick up some lunch for both of us. However, when I called Patrick, he suggested I go ahead and come over, then we could decide what we wanted to eat. Well, much to my surprise my sweet and thoughtful boyfriend had made us lunch... FROM SCRATCH!! It was amazing! We had tilapia, mashed potatoes, peas, and Texas toast. It was such a fantastic surprise! I am so blessed!!!

Our yummy lunch! I was so hungry I took a bite before the picture... ooops!

Monday we planned to run some errands and just hang out... it was supposed to be cloudy and rainy most of the day so we did not want to do too much. For lunch we ate at CookOut... a North Carolina speciality.

CookOut! No place to sit and eat, just a drive through and walk up window... it was packed!

Patrick has been telling me about this place for a while... we would always talk about going, but there is not one close to his apartment so we hadn't been. Well, it was worth the wait!!

We got a hamburger combo... I don't think I have ever been anywhere where corndogs and chicken nuggets are side orders... YUM!

Awesome selection of handmade milkshakes!! 36 flavors!! Way too many to choose from!

Our lunch... burger, fries & onion rings... and we splurged and got a shake (I got Peanut Butter Banana... Patrick got chocolate) so YUMMY!! And all for $5.25... my first reaction... I'm never going to eat regular fast food again!

Monday night it was my turn to cook... I made ranch chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. Stayed tuned for recipes in an upcoming Foodie Friday!

The dinner I made...

I'm excited that we took pictures of the food this time... the problem is... we forgot to take any pictures of ourselves... maybe next time we can find a happy medium!

We had a great visit, but if we keep eating like this... I think we are going to have to join one of our favorite shows... The Biggest Loser!